Coin separators and rejectors are widely employed in coin operated machines such as vending machines, public telephones, video games, car washes, laundromats and the like.
Coin separators and rejectors employ a variety of means to separate coins and to reject unwanted coins, tokens, slugs and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,292,628 discloses a rejector wherein a coin inserted into a coin slot engages a series of coin cradles disposed within the apparatus and moves downwards across the face of the rejector via a plurality of coin handling cradles until it reaches a particular coin outlet slot. The disadvantage of this and similar devices is the number of moving parts that can fail due to wear by contamination by dirt and corrosives. This results in numerous service calls, leading to an overall loss of profit due to down time and service call fees.
Reducing the number of moving parts has increased the reliability and efficiency of coin separators and rejectors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,280 discloses a coin separator and rejector that separates and rejects coins without moving parts. Rather, coins are separated and rejected via downwardly inclined coin races connected by apertures. Protrusions in the races apply precise lateral forces to the downwardly moving coins to selectively alter the paths of coins as they proceed down the coin race.
Other devices employ electronics in the coin selection process. U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,256 discloses a coin sensing device that employs optical sensors located along a coin path. Depending on the diameter of the coin proceeding along the path, the sensors detect the passage of coins and send signals to a processor. The processor calculates a time interval and generates a signal indicating the acceptability of the coin.
In above-referenced devices, jammed coins are removed from the coin separator and rejector via a button that is mechanically connected to the device. This limits the location that manufacturers of coin operated machines can place coin separators and rejectors since the coin return button must be able to be mechanically linked to the coin separator and rejector. Accordingly, effective devices and systems are desired for coin separators and rejectors that do not require mechanical buttons and linkages to remove jammed coins.